Performing Arts

Little girls all over the world may hope to grow up to become a princess, but few ever realize the dream. For those who grow up to become showgirls, they go far beyond, becoming goddess-like objects of men's desire and the epitome of feminine beauty, elegance, and class. As soon as resort casinos began to dot the dusty Las Vegas landscape, major stars, extravagant show productions, and beautiful women helped promote the city to become the ultimate adult playground. In the early 1950s, when women began to dance and parade on the stages of Las Vegas, the showgirl persona evolved from the seductive burlesque-style performance art to the elegant productions modeled after those staged in France, with women dripping in furs and feathers, or in nothing more than a G-string and rhinestones. The over-the-top Las Vegas productions may have faded into obscurity, leaving but one show, Bally's Jubilee, as the longest running showgirl show on the Las Vegas Strip, but the iconic showgirl will forever represent Las Vegas in all of its glitz and glory.

George Thomas Apfel brings to life the history of radio and television in Las Vegas from its humble origins in Strip hotels to becoming a thriving broadcasting industry in one of the nation's fastest growing metros.

The history of broadcasting in Las Vegas began with the first radio station, KGIX, to crackle the airwaves in the 1920s, started by J.M. "Jack'? Heaton, who ran the Las Vegas railroad operation. By the 1940s, the railroad was no longer a major factor; instead, legalized gaming and the Strip drove the growth of the city and, consequently, radio and television. Maxwell Kelch, who was responsible for leading the effort to publicize Las Vegas as a tourist destination, launched the second and oldest existing radio station, KENO. Radio and TV personalities such as Coffee Jim Dandy, Red Mcilvaine, Hal Morelli, Hank Thornley, and Walt Reno were household names to Las Vegans in the 1960s and 1970s. From the 1940s and 1950s, when every radio station called a Strip hotel home, to the mega-consolidation of the mid-1990s, when big corporations took control of many of the Las Vegas signals, the world of radio and television in Las Vegas has evolved significantly. Today, Las Vegas is the 30th largest radio market in the United States. George Thomas Apfel worked in Las Vegas radio for 40 years as an on-air host, manager, and engineer. Many of the photographs he has selected are from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas library, along with images from his personal collection and submissions from former coworkers in the radio industry.

From Scantily Clad Women to Impassioned Suffragist Speeches

Virginia City boomed in the nineteenth century, with thousands coming to try their luck in the mines. The entertainment industry boomed with it. Piper’s Opera House became one of the most well-known theaters in America, attracting actors from the East and West Coasts for lauded performances. The Alhambra Theater took a different approach, advertising acts with women in scanty clothing to bored, restless miners. The vibrant scene drew in big names like renowned actors John McCullough and Lawrence Barrett, William Cody (better known as Buffalo Bill) and even Mark Twain.

Author Carolyn Grattan Eichin takes a deep dive into Virginia City’s theatrical history and its importance for the stars of the day.